Life is full of first times. After trying Unreal Engine for the first time and creating two playable prototypes, this week I’ve been trying out Blender for the first time.

Blender, according to Wikipedia is a free and open-source 3D computer graphics software tool set used for creating animated films, visual effects, art, 3D-printed models, motion graphics, interactive 3D applications, virtual reality, and, formerly, video games.

So yes, Blender is open-source and it’s one of the most powerful and widely used programs for 3D modeling, rendering, texturing, special effects, etc. Why do I want to learn how to use it? Well, expanding knowledge is always good, but the real reason is to be more self-sufficient.

If I want to make a game right now… I can program it, but that’s it. Can’t have my own assets, my own models. Totally dependent on third parties or already made assets which often aren’t exactly what I need.

You might think, “Edgar, are you also going to learn to compose music so you don’t depend on others?” Well, if needed, yes. 😅

Back to Blender. I’ve loved it. In fact, I may have found a calling I didn’t know I had and thought wasn’t for me. But it’s wonderful to see how from a basic shape like a cube or sphere, you can create anything.

At first, Blender’s interface can be overwhelming, but with just 10 minutes, you can see it’s simpler than it looks.

And, very importantly, getting used to using shortcuts is key to working more efficiently. Maybe later I’ll dare to do an introductory tutorial.

For now, I think I’ve only scratched the surface, but I’ve already learned how to create shapes, make shaders, create environments, light them, add modifiers, and many other things. And most importantly, how to render images and sequences. And that’s what I’ll share next.

The results

My next steps are to continue learning. Create modular (reusable) assets and learn how to export them to Unity for use in my games. I’ll make another post about my Blender progress soon.

Meanwhile, I continue to move forward with various ongoing tasks and with the next update for Oh My Shape! Possibly the last one for a long time because I want to be able to dedicate time to other games.

Until next time!